Numbered documents

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to documents, such as banknotes, which are produced and used in large numbers and which, for a given series, are identical one with another except for a unique multi-digit number upon each individual document, the number thus uniquely identifying that document within the series. According to the present invention, to render unauthorized reproduction of the document more difficult, on each document, at least two characters in the identifying number differ from each other (in addition to any differences in the letters or digits which they represent) in one or more visible characteristics. Thus the differing characters may have different heights or widths or be in different styles of type. Preferably, the identifying number appears twice on each document; in diagonally opposite corners, and preferably the variation of physical characteristics of the characters along the length of one of the numbers is reversed in direction in the other of the numbers.

This invention relates to documents of the kinds which are produced andused in large numbers and which, for any given series, are identical onewith another, except for a unique multi-digit number upon eachindividual document. In this specification the word "number" is to betaken to mean something which is wholly numerical, or is wholly composedof letters of the alphabet, or is a combination of numerical digits and"alpha" digits. The invention also extends to a method and means forapplying such "numbers" to documents of the aforesaid kinds.

Generally, the documents to which this invention relates are numberedconsecutively, adjacently produced documents differing from each otherby one digit or letter in a readily recognized series, but the inventionis not restricted to such serial numbering.

The documents may be of any desired kind and, most commonly, thenumbering thereof will be for purposes associated with the securityand/or administration of the documents, either in their production or intheir use. By way of example, security documents, such as banknotes,bonds, warrants, share certificates, vouchers and lottery tickets willeach be uniquely identifiable by the number or number thereupon.

The documents to which this invention relates are most commonlynumbered, during or after production, by means of number printingmachines, sometimes called "numbering boxes" or "numbering barrels",which are adapted to print the number in a desired position or positionsupon each document and to change, in a predetermined sequence andbetween documents, the number to be printed by the machines. However,numbering may be effected by other means, including both othermechanical means and electronically controlled systems such as are usedin ink-jet printing and in laser-utilising methods and means.

Any person who attempts the unauthorized reproduction of a securitydocument is faced with a large number of problems, one of which is thateach document in a given series of genuine documents bears its ownunique multi-digit number in one or more places thereupon. He mayattempt to overcome this problem in a number of ways. For example, hemay regard it as sufficient in some circumstances, to produce aplurality of documents, all of which bear identical multi-digit numbers,this may be done by the repetitive use of a printing plate made from aphotograph which includes the multi-digit number of one arbitrarilyselected genuine document. However, once it is known that anunauthorised reproduction has been made, it is easier to detect furthercopies if they all bear the same number.

Another possible solution involves the manufacture and use of a printingplate for printing some only of the digits of a "genuine" or officiallyused multi-digit number (for example, the first three digits thereof)and the later insertion of the missing digit or digits, by suitablypositioning the authorized and partially numbered document so that itreceives desired impressions from a numbering box or from some otherprinting means or system.

A still further solution also involves the printing of a part of themulti-digit number from a printing plate with fixed digits. By alteringthe side-lay, i.e. the relative position of the printing means and thedocument being printed, the part numbers upon the plate may be printedso that they occupy different positions or locations within themulti-digit number. Thus, by the use of a limited number of plates withfixed "part-numbers" in conjunction with different combinations ofside-lay adjustment, a relatively large number of different multi-digitnumbers may be obtained with a small number of part-number printingoperations, the missing number or numbers again must be filed bynumbering boxes, for example, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

Whatever the method employed, the aim of the producer of theunauthorised document is to make its appearance, including theappearance of the identifying numbers, approximate closely to theappearance of the genuine document.

The object of this invention is substantially to increase thedifficulties faced by the unauthorised reproducer by such documents.

According to this invention a document, which is one of a series ofdocuments which are identical in content except for a number made up ofa set of alphabetical or numerical characters, which number uniquelyidentifies each document within the series, is characterized in that atleast two characters of the identifying number differ from each other,in addition to any differences in the letters or digits which theyrepresent, in one or more visible physical characteristics.

The digits may, for example, differ in their heights, their widths, ortheir type styles, or in any combination of these. The pitch of thedigits of the multi-digit number may be constant or may vary. When thedigits vary from digit to digit in a characteristic which isprogressively variable (e.g. height), such variation may be in aprogressive manner, from one end of the multi-digit number of the other.

The identifying number may be repeated on the document. Preferably itappears in diametrically opposite corners of the document, so that if acorner or strip of the document is torn away the identifying number isleft on the remainder. The direction of variation of the physicalcharacteristics is preferably opposite in the two representations of thenumber. For example, if in one representation of the number the digitsincrease in size from one digit to the next in a left-to-rightdirection, in the other representation of the same number on the samedocument the digit sizes decrease in the left-to-right direction.

The multi-digit number may be displayed either horizontally and/orvertically on the document. The digits of the multi-digit number may beprinted in one or more different colours in a single printing operation.

The multi-digit number may comprise two separate numbers, each of whichforms part of a different overall series of numbers.

The invention also consists in a set of such documents and in a methodand apparatus for their production.

Documents according to this invention will require an unauthorisedreproducer to devote considerably more time, effort and expenditure thatwould be required for the reproduction of standard forms of multi-digitidentification numbers. He will need to make many more printing platesthan previously required and, in any infilling operation, is likely tohave problems in obtaining or making the required type. The varyingphysical characteristics of the digits required for this invention aresuch that an illicit reproducer cannot use, either wholly or partly, acommercially available number box. If the reproduction is not of highquality, it will be readily detectable, and the variations in typefaces, and the dispositions of the various forms of the digits of agenuine document, may render uneconomic attempts at high qualityunauthorised copying.

In order that the invention may be better understood, some embodimentswill now be described with the reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a numbering box for printingthe numbers on documents and

FIGS. 2 to 7 are diagrammatic representations of documents on which onlythe identification numbers are illustrated.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a rotary numbering machine having a number oftype rings 10, each of which includes a number of type faces 12angularly spaced about the common axis of the rings. Each ring isangularly adjustable to bring any of the type faces into printingposition. Each type face carries a digit.

An operating lever 14 is fitted with a cam follower roller 16. A cam onthe printing equipment lifts the cam follower roller up and down tocause the type rings to be indexed with the printing of each document.Such indexing normally causes the numerical value of the whole number toincrease by one with each indexing step.

In this example, the height and width of the digits are the same for alltype faces of a single ring but the digit height and width differ fromring to ring. Also, in this example, there is a progressive variation inheight and width from one end ring to the other end ring.

If the number is to be repeated on each document, it is advantageous toprovide two such numbering machines in which the variation of digitheight and width is in opposite directions.

The documents of FIGS. 2 to 6 each include a six-digit number printed ineach of two diagonally opposite corners.

Referring now to FIG. 2, each of the six digits has the same height butthe style or design of the digits differs as follows. Describing firstlythe number in the top left-hand corner of the document, the figures "9and 8" are both of a first type style, giving a heavy print. The figures"9 and 1" are both of a second lighter type style and figures "0 and 6"are both of a third, yet lighter, type style. The same number is printedin the bottom right-hand corner of the document, but in this case theorder of styles if reversed so that "9 and 8" are printed in thelightest type style and "0 and 6" in the heaviest type style.

In the document of FIG. 3 all the digits of the numbers are of the sameheight and, again, the styles vary in pairs. Considering firstly the topleft-hand number, "9 and 8" are both printed in a fourth type style. "9and 1" are in the above-mentioned first type style and "0 and 6" in theabove-mentioned third type style. Additionally at a given distance beloweach digit there is printed a discrete line having a predeterminedthickness. In the bottom right-hand corner, the same number is printedwith reversed styles. Again the digits are underlined. In each case theunderlining of the number as a whole is discontinuous.

In the document of FIG. 4, at the top left-hand corner the heights ofthe digits, which are all in a fifth type style, vary smoothly fromdigit to digit, with the smallest digit "9" at the left-hand end and thelargest digit "6" at the right-hand end.

In the bottom right-hand number, the direction of graduation of theheight of the digits is reversed so that the largest digit is the first37 9" and the smallest digit is the final "6". The pitch between theadjacent digits of varying height is such that the visual appearance ofthese multi-digit numbers is the more aesthetically acceptable.

In the document FIG. 5, the digits of the printed numbers are of aconstant height. However, the widths of the digits vary, in parts. Inthe top left-hand number the middle two digits "9" and "1" have a first(standard) width but the first two digits "9" and 8" have expandedwidths and the final digits "0 and 6" have condensed widths. In thebottom right-hand number the condensed width is to be seen in the first"9" and "8" and the expanded width in the final "0" and "6", the middledigits being again of the standard width.

The digits of the numbers of the FIG. 6 document vary smoothly in pairs,in both height and width. All digits are in the above-mentioned fifthtype style. The first two digits "9" and "8" of the number in the topleft-hand corner and the last two digits "0" and "6" of the number inthe bottom right-hand corner are all of the smallest height and width.The last two digits "0" and "6" of the top left-hand number and thefirst two digits "9" and "8" of the bottom right-hand number are all ofthe greatest height and width. The middle pairs of digits are of anintermediate height and width.

In the FIG. 7 document, the same number, which occurs in both the topleft-hand corner and the bottom right-hand top corner, is intended to beread vertically from top to bottom (i.e. as 989106). The digits shownare in the above-mentioned fifth type style and the heights and widthsof the digits vary progressively from digit to digit. The direction ofthe graduation of digits is reserved as between the left-hand andright-hand numbers; the greatest height and width is to be seen in thefirst "9" of the top left-hand number and the final "6" of the bottomright-hand number.

The documents of FIGS. 2 to 6 may be printed in sheets on rotaryprinting presses with parallel 6-wheel letter-press printing boxes ofthe kind shown in FIG. 1 to print the numbers at right-angles to thedirection of the rotation of the impression cylinder. The document ofFIG. 7 may be similarly produced but with the use of six-wheel convex orbarrel numbering boxes to print the numbers in a direction parallel tothe direction of rotation of the impression cylinder.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that there are manyvariations, additional to those illustrated and described above, withinthe scope of this invention and available for its implementation.

We claim:
 1. A series of documents which are identical except for anumber composed of a set of alphabetical or numerical characters whichuniquely identifies each document within the series and in which thenumber is printed twice on each document in diagonally opposite corners,characterized in that in each document in each representation of theidentifying number on that document at least two alphabetical ornumerical characters on the identifying number differs from one another,in addition to any differences in the letters or numerical values whichthey represent, in one or more visible characteristics, and in which inthe two representations of the identifying number on each document thevariation of physical characteristics of the characters of one of thetwo representations is reversed in direction in the other of the tworepresentations of the identifying number. .Iadd.
 2. A series ofdocuments which are identical in content except for a number composed ofa set of alphabetical or numerical characters which uniquely identifieseach document within the series, in which at least two characters of theidentifying number differ from each other, in addition to anydifferences in the letters or digits which they represent, in one ormore visible physical characteristics, and in which the identifyingnumber appears twice on the document with the variation betweencharacters in each number being different, one of the two identifyingnumbers being provided with the characters one above the other..Iaddend. .Iadd.
 3. A series of documents as claimed in claim 2 in whichthe differing characters have different heights. .Iaddend. .Iadd.4. Aseries of documents as claimed in claim 2 in which the differingcharacters have different widths. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. A series ofdocuments as claimed in claim 2 in which the differing characters are indifferent styles of type. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. A series of documents asclaimed in claim 2 in which the pitch of the characters varies, at leastbetween the characters which exhibit varying visible physicalcharacteristics. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. A series of documents as claimed inclaim 2 in which each of the characters of the identifying numberincludes an underline which is discrete from the underline of theadjacent character or characters. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A series ofdocuments as claimed in claim 2, in which the variation of physicalcharacteristics of the characters of one of the two numbers is reversedin direction in the other of the two numbers. .Iaddend.